Alberta’s government is committed to the safety, security, health and well-being of Albertans living in affordable housing. Through the Capital Maintenance and Renewal Program, the province is working to repair affordable housing units that require renovation and preventative maintenance. This program also prioritizes suite renewals to ensure housing units are available for Albertans in need of housing as quickly as possible.
Through Budget 2024, government is investing nearly $121 million over three years to maintain and repair government-owned and supported housing units across Alberta, supporting about 4,250 units in 2024-25. This funding goes toward repairing units through projects like replacing windows, repairing roofs and improving interior environments to help bring units up to date and ensure they can continue to be used for years to come.
“The Capital Maintenance and Renewal Program is a critical part of keeping government-owned housing units safe and up to date. Like all homes, these buildings need repairs as they age to keep them in good condition and able to continue operating as affordable housing for Albertans. A maintenance strategy will help government work with housing operators to ensure we are making the right repairs at the right time.”
“Lethbridge Housing Authority is grateful for the Government’s of Alberta’s continued commitment to prioritizing preventative and ongoing maintenance. By reviewing processes and ensuring units can be available in a timely manner, we are able to offer homes that are affordable and well maintained to Albertans in need.”
Improvements made by Alberta’s government in 2023-24 resulted in more competitive pricing and faster turnaround times of vacant suites, reducing from three months to 33 days. Alberta is also continuing to work with housing providers to implement building condition assessments for government housing assets, ensure priority projects receive funding, provide training, and improve internal processes and data collection.
Investing in the future
Alberta’s 10-year affordable housing plan, Stronger Foundations, recommended the creation of a long-term maintenance strategy to help ensure existing government-owned assets continue to provide suitable housing that meets the needs of the community and make effective use of taxpayer dollars.
In 2022-23, Alberta’s government undertook an external review of the Capital Maintenance and Renewal Program to ensure government-owned affordable housing remains safe and identify ways to further improve the program. A summary of the review’s recommendations can be found online. Alberta’s government will continue to implement these recommendations.
To help continue this work, the government is now issuing a request for proposal to help improve the program with a future-focused maintenance strategy. This strategy will be based on engagement with housing providers and operators to ensure that the maximum longevity and availability of housing units. The request for proposals is open from Oct. 7 to Nov. 4.
Quick facts:
- Budget 2024 provides over $40 million in Capital Maintenance and Renewal Funding in 2024-25 to preserve existing affordable housing.
- Examples of projects include:
- Repairing and replacing roofs;
- Upgrading windows and building systems to improve energy efficiency;
- Upgrading and modernizing elevators in seniors apartment buildings;
- Replacing or upgrading furnaces, boilers, ventilation and hot water systems; and
- Suite renewals.
- Since 2019, Alberta’s government has invested almost $850 million to build more than 5,100 affordable units and close to 900 shelter spaces. This includes projects government has committed to, that are in progress and that are complete.